Fluid holding thermal mass panel

ABSTRACT

An enclosed fluid-holding vessel having first and second opposed flat panel sides and a series of through apertures through each side, wherein the through apertures interconnect and provide structural support to the first and second panels in addition to providing an information conveying structure to viewers of one of the panels.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to large flat water storage containers or the like and, in particular, discloses a novel form of thermal mass panel having advertising formed therein and a novel affixing method.

BACKGROUND

Large scale fluid storage have become increasingly popular in dry climatic regions for the storage of significant volumes of fluids for later use in accordance with requirements such as for gardens, drinking and other household water usages. A number of these storage devices have a substantially elongated structure and have been utilized to form walls or the like.

As the storage containers scale in size, often they are constructed in a long thin modular form which is often aesthetically pleasing form for placement along a wall. Unfortunately, long large thin modular volumes full of water pose a dangerous hazard if they are not firmly affixed to a wall or supporting structure. A toppling water containing vessel might crush anything in its toppling path.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid holding flat walled thermal mass panel that includes predetermined advertising and which further includes a method and apparatus for affixing an elongated walled tank structure to a fixture.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an enclosed vessel having first and second opposed panel sides and a series of through apertures through each side, wherein the through apertures interconnect and provide structural support to the first and second panels in addition to providing an information conveying structure to viewers of one of the panels. Ideally, the through apertures form letter shapes on one side of the panel sides. The through apertures are preferably shaped so that any fluid within the vessel does not pool on an inner surface of the aperture when the vessel can be in an upright position on any of its sides.

The first and second opposed panel sides are preferably substantially planar. Further the vessel further includes at least one screw unit having a first surface affixing the rim of the first panel side, a rod passing through the aperture and a bolt for attaching the screw to the other side of the aperture. The screw unit preferably can include a planar washer having an outer rim which mates with the edge of the aperture and a screw attached through a central hole in the washer.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water tank fixing arrangement including: a water tank including at least a first and second spaced apart panels interconnected by a series of structurally supporting through apertures; a first walled structure on one side of the water taken having a series of matching apertures there through; at least one screw unit having a first surface affixing the rim of the aperture in the first walled structure and passing though the aperture in the water tank and affixing a second walled structure adjacent the second spaced apart panel.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of affixing a water tank structure to a second structure, the tank structure comprising at least a first and second elongated panels interconnected by a series of structurally supporting through apertures, the second panel being adjacent the second structure, the method comprising the steps of: utilizing a screw unit to attach the first elongated panel to the second structure, the screw unit having an elongated screw passing through one of the structural supporting apertures.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water tank fixing arrangement including: a water tank including at least a first and second spaced apart panels interconnected by a series of structurally supporting through apertures; and at least one screw unit having a first surface affixing the rim of the first panel, a rod passing through the aperture and a bolt for attaching the screw to the other side of the aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side plan view of a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view through the line A-A of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view through the line B-B of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates the affixing components for affixing the vessel to a support structure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a first sectional view through a vessel illustrating the affixing of the vessel to a wall;

FIG. 6 illustrates a second sectional view through a vessel;

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative water tank sandwiched between to wall structures;

FIG. 8 illustrates a first sectional view through the arrangement of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a second sectional view through the arrangement of FIG. 7;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the preferred embodiment there is provided a flat sided enclosed moulded vessel with signage configured so that the walls of the shapes, letters or numbers form the internal bracing of the two major walls of the vessel, such that any liquid contained within the vessel can flow freely without pooling when the tank is stood on any of its surfaces. The moulded flat sided vessel has multiple functions of holding water and providing signage, and is configured such that the signage configuration is an integral part of the water holding structure. Additionally, the signage structures can be used for affixing the vessel to a supporting structure.

Turning initially to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a plan view of an example water vessel 1 which can be formed by rotational moulding of a corresponding mould. The vessel 1 includes a series of apertures e.g 2, 3, 5, 9 wherein the apertures form two functions of providing structural support to the walls of the vessel and an information or advertising carrying capability. In the present case the apertures include circles 5, 9, stars 2 and the letters USA.

Turning to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a sectional view of the vessel through the line A-A of FIG. 1. The vessel is primarily formed from two walls 7, 8, with water being held there between. The apertures e.g. 3, 5 provide for structural support bracing the walls 7,8.

FIG. 3 illustrates a further sectional view through the line B-B of FIG. 1.

Ideally, the apertures are further structured such that, whilst information is made available by means of the apertures, no cavities exist for water to collect or “pool” and be held in the cavity. For example, in FIG. 1, the letters “U” and “S” have been formed from constituent parts such that water under the influence of gravity, will flow out of the space between the two arms of the “U” and the bottom of the “S” structure.

Further, the vessel can be can be mounted with its large flat side parallel to a vertical, horizontal or angled surface or structure via the configured walled openings in its wall surfaces.

It can be seen that the vessel uses cutouts of letters, numbers or shapes to give it strength and hold its shape when full. The letters, numbers or shapes are so configured that the negative and positive walls formed do not hold water in their curves or recesses but allow water to flow freely around the internal volume. The letters and numbers can include ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ AND 1234567890 and the shapes can including a circle and a star.

Further, the vessel 1 can be readily stacked horizontally or vertically on a similar vessel without distortion. The vessel can further have hose interconnects at the top and bottom to provide for fluid flow on demand both into an out of the vessel in accordance with the normal requirements for fluid storage vessels of this type. Multiple vessels can be interconnected along side one another at their base thereby allowing water to equalise between vessels as a single volume.

Ideally, a number of the apertures, e.g. the apertures 5,9 are sized so as to provide for an affixing means for the flat walled structure to a fixture. In the preferred embodiment, a series of through apertures are also placed in the flat walled structure to provide structural support for the structure.

In the preferred embodiment a plate, spring screw and bolting mechanism is used in conjunction with the aperture to affix the tank to a wall or the like.

FIG. 4 illustrates the affixing mechanism in its components parts which can include a screw bolt 10, a spring nut 11 and a flat plate washer 12 dimensioned to fit the size of the hole. The screw bolt is inserted though the aperture in the flat plate washer and through a wall fixture and spring bolt 11 utilised to hold the screw in place.

Examples of the affixing process will now be described initially with reference to FIG. 5 which illustrates a simple sectional view of the tank 40 having a series of circular holes 45, 46 formed there through, the holes being similar to the holes 5, 9 of the arrangement of FIG. 1. A first hole 42 has a screw 10, flat washer 12 and retaining bolt 11 assembled therein so as to fix the tank 40 to wall 44. A second further retaining unit including flat washer 50, bolt 51 and nut 52 are shown before assembly.

By utilising the retaining arrangement to fix the tank to a wall thorough the aperture in the tank, a compact and aethetically pleasing affixing mechanism is provided.

The tank may be affixed in various orientations. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates the tank being affixed on a slant, with the contained water able to flow freely without pooling.

The affixing mechanism can lend itself to more complex and aethetically pleasing results. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the fixing mechanism can be used to affix a flat walled tank 70 between two other walls 71, 72, thereby providing a simple mechanism for hiding the tank if required) in a walled structure. FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view through the arrangement of FIG. 7 clearly illustrating the three walls 70, 71, 72 and the fixing bolt 74, flat washer 76 and screw bolt 75. FIG. 9 shows a further sectional view in an assembled form of the three walled structure.

It can be seen the preferred embodiments provide a compact affixing mechanism for affixing a water tank to a structure in an aesthetically pleasing manner such the tank is also firmly and safely affixed to a structure.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. 

1. An enclosed vessel having first and second opposed panel sides and a series of through apertures through each side, wherein the through apertures interconnect and provide structural support to the first and second panels in addition to providing an information conveying structure to viewers of one of said panels.
 2. An enclosed vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the through apertures form letter shapes on both sides of the panel sides.
 3. An enclosed vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the through apertures are shaped so that any fluid within the vessel does not pool on an inner surface of the aperture when the vessel is in an upright position.
 4. An enclosed vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second opposed panel sides are substantially planar.
 5. An enclosed vessel as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: at least one screw unit having a first surface affixing the rim of said first panel side, a rod passing through the aperture and a bolt for attaching the screw to the other side of the aperture.
 6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein the first surface is substantially planar and sits substantially flush with the first panel surface.
 7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein the apertures are substantially circular and the screw unit includes a planar washer having an outer rim which mates with the edge of the aperture and a screw attached through a central hole in the washer.
 8. A water tank fixing arrangement including: a water tank including at least a first and second spaced apart panels interconnected by a series of structurally supporting through apertures; a first walled structure on one side of said water taken having a series of matching apertures there through; at least one screw unit having a first surface affixing the rim of the aperture in the first walled structure and passing though the aperture in the water tank and affixing a second walled structure adjacent the second spaced apart panel.
 9. A method of affixing a water tank structure to a second structure, the tank structure comprising at least a first and second elongated panels interconnected by a series of structurally supporting through apertures, the second panel being adjacent said second structure, the method comprising the steps of: utilizing a screw unit to attach the first elongated panel to the second structure, the screw unit having an elongated screw passing through one of said structural supporting apertures.
 10. A water tank fixing arrangement including: a water tank including at least a first and second spaced apart panels interconnected by a series of structurally supporting through apertures; and at least one screw unit having a first surface affixing the rim of said first panel, a rod passing through the aperture and a bolt for attaching the screw to the other side of the aperture.
 11. An arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein the first surface is substantially planar and sits substantially flush with the first panel surface.
 12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein the apertures are substantially circular and the screw unit includes a planar washer having an outer rim which mates with the edge of the aperture and a screw attached through a central hole in the washer. 